His greatest fear
by ineedtogetalife
Summary: A slight AU of 6th year. Lupin is teaching the class about Boggarts again, and is giving everyone a chance to face their fear. What on earth could Draco Malfoy have to fear? Chapter 2 now added.
1. His greatest fear

**A/N: I've never done anything for HP before, but I had this idea that I really wanted to write. The main dialogue is based on episode 3x10 of Supernatural, but the rest just sorta happened. It's an AU of 6****th**** year, where Lupin is still the DADA teacher, and Draco hasn't received the Dark Mark…**

**I own none of the characters, just the story.  
Warnings: A few mature words, blood and hinted child abuse, so please read with caution. This can be read as friendship or Pre-Slash, whatever you prefer.**

His greatest fear

Today had seemed simple enough. Professor Lupin had been going over creatures from previous years in order to help prepare the students for their upcoming exams. Naturally, their Boggart lessons had been brought back up. Since everyone hadn't had a chance to face a creature last time, a small test had been devised to make sure everyone knew what to do.

It was simple enough: a student would enter the protective circle with the Boggart and wards would be raised to stop any outside help. The person had five minutes to face and defeat their Boggart and get it back into the cabinet. After the time was up, Lupin would be able to step in and assist if necessary. The challenge was to see how well they could cope with emotional stress.

Everyone was gathered by the doors, and they watched on as students were alphabetically called up to face the Boggart. Hermione had defeated hers in relatively good time (McGonagall telling her she'd failed her exams), Seamus had turned the giant snake before him into a small puppy, and Neville had only just shoved Snape (wearing his Grandmother's pink robes, of course) into the cupboard in time.

"Excellent job Neville, well done." Lupin praised as he consulted the register to see who was next. "Now, let's see. Err… Draco Malfoy."

At this, Harry turned to look at the boy who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the tests. Not once had he joined in with the jeers of his fellow house mates, but had instead stood quietly in the corner, something that was becoming the norm this year. Malfoy looked up, and slowly made his way to the front of the class.

"Hey, wonder what the Ferret's worst nightmare is? Probably something like losing his hair gel." Ron joked quietly to Harry's right.

"Ronald, honestly." Scolded Hermione. "Malfoy may be a complete git, but you shouldn't joke about someone's worst fear."

"Whatever 'Mione. Personally, I just wanna see him squirm. Maybe we could use it on him next time he bothers us, right Harry?"

Harry didn't reply. Malfoy was one of the people who hadn't faced the Boggart in 3rd year, and he was more than a little curious to see what he, Malfoy, feared. Maybe it could give him his answer concerning Malfoy's behaviour this year. Or perhaps it was, like Ron said, something they could use as a defence. Maybe Draco Malfoy was secretly terrified of rats…

When Malfoy was in position, Lupin raised his wand to open the cabinet and cast the wards, before standing back with one last "Good luck."

The Boggart, no longer Snape, tumbled out of the door. Sensing that the person had changed yet again, it paused to study it's new victim, before transforming. What appeared made everyone in the room gasp.

Standing before Malfoy was a person with rumpled blonde hair and hard grey eyes. It was dressed from head to toe in black, with a long cloak draped over its shoulders. The sleeves of the robe were rolled up, revealing a dark snake tattoo covering the left arm. The Death Eater stood tall and proud, with murder in it's eyes.

Draco Malfoy's worst fear…was Draco Malfoy.

"Hello Draco." Normally, Malfoy had to put a lot of effort into sounding intimidating. His double on the other hand, pulled it off with ease.

Fear flickered over the blonde's face, but it was gone so quickly that no one would've seen it unless they were looking for it. That self-assured smirk was soon back in place. "Well aren't you a handsome devil" he drawled.

The creature said nothing, continuing to stare at the wizard. "Oh, I get it. I'm my own worst nightmare, is that it? How poetic. I mean, I would hit you, but I don't think I could bring myself to harm something that good looking" There were a few sniggers of laughter from the Slytherin side of the class, and more than a few eye rolls from the Gryffindor side.

"Joke all you want, smart arse, but you can't lie to me. I know the truth." The laughter died down, as the rest of the room's occupants seemed to notice the rising tension in the Boggart's victim's shoulders. Malfoy's double began to smirk. If possible, it was somehow more un-nerving than the original's. It spoke with a voice that somehow carried across the classroom without having to shout.

"I know how dead you are inside. How worthless you feel. I know how you look into a mirror, and hate what you see." Tense silence followed, and Malfoy's mask of calm began to waver. His grip tightened on his wand, and his bravado was now noticeably forced.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but that's not going to work. You're not really me."

"You sure about that?" his own voice echoed back.

There were definitely murmurs behind him now, as he felt the stares of the rest of his peers. He vaguely heard Lupin to his far right prompt him to cast the spell.

"Riddikulus…" he called, cursing the shaking of his hand as he raised his wand. The spell did nothing; if anything, it amused the Boggart. It simply tilted its head, as two pairs of grey eyes locked. One confident, one terrified.

"I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you. After all, it's not as if you're strong enough. " Pausing to absorb the boy's clear discomfort, it began choosing words that he knew would invoke a reaction. Circling Draco, it carried on its onslaught. "I mean, you're being forced to join the Dark Lord, and you won't lift a finger to stop it." It scoffed, gesturing with the arm that was marked. "Talk about no self-confidence. But then again, I'm not sure that it's much of a life worth saving…"

"Riddikulus!" Draco shouted, however he was still too distracted for the spell to have any effect. His nightmare carried on talking, as if he hadn't done anything.

"I mean, come on. You've got nothing outside of your so called friends." It said, moving it's gaze to the horrified stares of the others in the room. It paused to study Harry, whose eyes never left the trembling form of his enemy.

"You **are** nothing." Draco's head snapped up, turning around so it was now him that was facing the class, and the Boggart with its back to them. "You're as mindless and obedient as an attack dog."

"That's not true…" he mumbled.

"No? So tell me, Draco. What is it that **you** want? What do **you** dream about? What makes **you** unique? I mean, your clothes? That's Father. Your favourite ring? That's Father's. The subjects you're taking? That's Father." The creature spat Lucius' title viciously.

Draco's eyes suddenly lost their fear. It was anger alone that was making him breathe harder now.

The creature cocked its head again, as if the boy in front of him was a puzzle than needed solving. Its voice was still low, and resonated around the room. "Do you even have an original thought?" It asked in genuine curiosity. "No, all there is in your head is 'Don't be weak. Maintain the Malfoy name, boy.' You can still hear his voice can't you? Clear as day." It chuckled. "Locked up in Azkaban, yet he still controls your every move!"

"Just shut up." Came the harsh growl from the other side of the circle.

"I mean, think about it for a moment." All of a sudden, the Boggart wasn't smiling. Draco watched as his double stepped towards him with a deadly glare. "All that man ever did was train you. Boss you around. Implant thoughts and emotions in your head that weren't yours."

They were now standing toe to toe. Draco was now breathing through his nose, not bothering to conceal that the creature's words were hitting home.

"But your Mother? Now her, he doted on. He loved her."

"I mean it. Shut up." The spell to stop the Boggart was all but forgotten.

"Professor, do something." Hermione whispered harshly to Lupin, who was as shocked as the rest of them.

"I can't." He replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. "The wards won't lift until the five minutes are up, and it's only been two. Any spells from us would do nothing- Mr. Malfoy has to be the one to cast it."

Harry paled, and looked to his teacher. He didn't think he'd be able to stand another three minutes of this, so he could only imagine what Malfoy was feeling. Although the Boggart had practically confirmed his theory about Malfoy having to work for Voldemort, he wasn't filled with the smugness he thought he would be.

The emotional battering was uncomfortable to watch, and hearing Malfoy taunting _himself_ didn't leave him feeling satisfied. He felt sick.

He turned back to the events that were currently unfolding in the middle of the room. "Malfoy, come on!" he cried, "The spell! Cast the bloody spell!" Apparently no one else wanted to watch him suffer any longer either, as everyone (even Ron, to Harry's surprise) joined in his encouragements. Startled, Draco looked up and met Harry's stare. There were definitely tears in his eyes, and he was still shaking like a leaf. He opened his mouth, but the Boggart chose this moment to speak again.

"You honestly think they can help you escape yourself? You think they care?" it snarled. "You know who you really are: nothing but a soldier, and a pathetic one at that. Daddy's blunt little instrument." For the first time since the exam had begun, the Boggart raised it's voice slightly. "Your own Father didn't care if you lived or died, why should you?" That certainly got the reaction it wanted.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Malfoy yelled. He grabbed the smiling image of himself and roughly shoved it into the cabinet that it had originally been stored in. The shouts of his class vanished, and were replaced with gasps and even a scream or two. Forgetting about his audience, Draco let any rage he had go.

"MY FATHER IS AN ABUSIVE BASTARD," he screamed, kicking the Boggart back into the solid cabinet when it tried to move. He grabbed it by the lapels of it's uniform, before punching it roughly in the face. He grabbed it by the shoulders and held it firmly as he ranted. "ALL THAT WEIGHT HE PUT ON ME ABOUT MAINTAINING AN IMAGE? THAT WAS HIS BURDEN, NOT MINE. HE'S THE ONE WHO COULDN'T PROTECT HIS FAMILY." Draco continued to attack the Boggart, seemingly unaffected by the fact that it still looked like him- in fact, it's form only seemed to encourage him.

"HE'S THE ONE WHO LET MY MOTHER GET DRAGGED INTO THIS. HE WASN'T THERE FOR HER, I ALWAYS WAS." A few more hits. His double didn't appear to be fighting back. Instead, it twisted Malfoy's face into an evil grin, blood staining it's teeth. "HE WASN'T FAIR. I DIDN'T DESERVE EVERYTHING HE MADE ME DO, AND I DON'T DESERVE TO BECOME A DEATH EATER!"

With a final rough shove, he released his grip and let the copy of himself slide down the cabinet to the floor. Relaxing his bloody fists, he slowly crouched down in front of the Boggart, who was seemingly unconscious. There was a beat, when two dark red eyes snapped open, and the doppelganger surged forward, causing Draco to lose his balance and fall back, allowing everyone to see the damage Draco had caused with his beating, as well as the malicious red orbs.

"You can't escape this, Draco. You're going to get the Mark. And this? THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME!" it roared.

"RIDDIKULUS!"

The yell came from behind, and Draco was too stunned to do anything as someone rushed past him to force the Boggart back into the cupboard before it could transform again.

Five minutes were up.

Flinching at the hand that was placed on his left shoulder, he looked up to see Professor Lupin bending down to meet his eye.

"Draco, it's alright, it's gone." He said in a quiet voice that only he could hear. "Can I take a look at your hands?" he asked softly.

Confused, Draco looked down at his hands, only to find them covered in bloody scratches. Pain suddenly flared, as he realised that he had attacked so brutally that he must have injured himself. Wincing, he flexed his fingers and felt a stab in his dominant hand. Seeing this, Lupin gently pulled his hands up to examine them.

"It doesn't look too bad," he reassured "but I think we should go to Madam Pomfrey just in case. Class dismissed." The last part wasn't directed at him, but reminded Draco none the less where they were. Feeling his cheeks beginning to flush, he attempted to stand, if only to prove that he could. Lupin gently but firmly held him down, knowing that Draco was in no condition to stand yet, which would only embarrass him further. As the sound of shuffling and mumbling became slowly less, he suddenly became aware of the moisture of his face. Taking solace from the fact that he had his back to the class, he harshly brushed the tears from his face, which only aggravated his hand.

A handkerchief was offered and he took it without looking up, not wanting to see the looks of pity that he knew he'd be getting. Keeping his head down, he tried to wipe away any evidence that he'd been crying. He desperately tried to think of something-_anything _else. All he knew was that he needed to leave. Now.

As if reading his mind, Lupin slowly helped Draco to his feet by holding the crook of his elbow. Somehow, the werewolf had managed to move his body so that he was blocking the cabinet from sight. Something that Draco was extremely grateful for. Taking deep, slow breaths, they began the challenge of getting to the Hospital Wing. The younger managed a handful of steps before he began to fumble. In an instant, there was another presence on his right, gripping his other elbow to steady him. Too mortified and exhausted to lift his head, Draco didn't acknowledge the other person, instead keeping his eyes firmly on the stone floor.

The rest of the school were still in lessons, meaning that there weren't any students in the corridors as they walked. Draco took little comfort in this, knowing that at the rate of gossip, the entire castle would be well aware of the incident by dinner. He was so lost in his own thoughts, that he hadn't realised they had reached their destination until he was being seated on a hospital bed, and someone was taking his hands again.

As they were being wrapped in bandages, and he was soon given a potion that would "calm your nerves, dear."(although he just loosely held the goblet, as opposed to drinking it) Lupin had left after giving his shoulder a final squeeze, and Pomfrey had went through to her office to give him some space. The second party who had helped him out of the class had stayed, and Draco's curiosity began to outweigh his exhaustion. He lifted his head to look at the person, and his grey eyes widened as he met the green ones of Harry Potter.

His usual "What are you doing here, Potter?" lacked the malice that it usually did, which demonstrated just how tired he really was. "Listen, if you're here to pick a fight, I'm really not in the mood to-"

"No, Malfoy, I don't wanna fight." Harry interjected softly, "I just…wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm bloody fantastic. Couldn't be better, thanks for asking."

Normally, the sarcastic reply would've annoyed Harry to no end, but on this occasion he found himself hiding a small smile. It may not have been irritatingly snobbish, but it assured him that Draco Malfoy couldn't be too badly damaged. There was a pause.

"…I'm sorry. About…you know…that. It couldn't have been-"

"Don't. Just…don't, please." Draco slowly shook his head and closed his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

Harry would have normally pressed the issue, but the quiet pleading made him stop. Malfoy never said please. Hell, Malfoy wasn't polite, least of all to Harry. That one word was enough to tell the Gryffindor how badly shaken up he really was. There was another silence, this one much longer than the last. Harry knew that he should leave, yet he couldn't bring himself to. In situations like this, he knew from experience that there would be a moment that all of today's events would sink in, and he also knew that it helped when you weren't alone. This may have been his enemy for the past 6 years, however watching Malf…Draco face his Boggart had shown the boy in a new light.

Sure enough, the breathing next to Harry began to hitch, and tears once again trailed down Draco's face. This time however, the tears weren't though embarrassment. Draco was playing the entire lesson over in his head, and not just the Boggart's taunts. He remembered what he'd said, or rather screamed, in reply. He remembered attacking the thing that had looked like himself, and he remembered how…good it had felt.

As the tears turned into silent sobs, he felt the goblet of forgotten potion being taken from his grasp, and a warm arm being thrown around his shoulders, pulling him towards the body next to him. He stiffened for a second, but eventually leaned into the offered comfort, no longer caring that it was Harry Potter.

"Hey, it's okay. You're alright." Harry told the sobbing Slytherin.

They stayed like that for a while, until Draco eventually calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence. "…Sorry…" he said shyly without moving away.

"Don't you dare apologise." Harry replied not unkindly.

Draco took in a steady breath "It's just…" he began "everything…it said. It…none of that was anything that I hadn't thought before. It was in my head…"

"You can't seriously believe…?" No reply. "Malfoy, look at me." Nothing. "Draco." The use of his first name got the addressee's attention. The blonde looked up, and Harry was startled at how **wrong** vulnerability looked on his face. "Listen to me. If that's what you truly think, then you're wrong. You're not weak, you're not pathetic and you are certainly worth saving. Understand?" Draco simply stared at him disbelieving. "You don't have to become a Death Eater. Dumbledore will be more than happy to provide you with protection. But you have to ask for it." At least he thought he would. If Draco had already been marked…

As if sensing Harry's uncertainty, the blonde rolled up his sleeve to reveal pale, unmarked skin. "I was meant to receive it over the summer," he confessed "but I just…couldn't. I know what the bastard's done, and I want nothing more to do with him." Whether he was talking about Voldemort or Lucius remained unclear.

He looked up and regarded the Boy Who Lived with faint scepticism. "You really think you can save me from this, Harry?"

The use of his own first name caused Harry to smile. He reached out his free hand in an all too familiar gesture that wasn't lost on either boy. "I know I can, Draco."

Draco gently grasped Harry's hand with his own broken one, and answered his smile with a small grin of his own. He could worry about the rest of the school, Lucius and Voldemort later. For the first time in far too long, he breathed easy.

The End.

**A/N: I do have a vague idea about a follow up to this, where Draco wants to try and face his Boggart again, (with just Harry in the room with him) but I'll only write that if people are interested. Thanks for reading, and I apologise if anyone was OOC, or if I made any mistakes. Please leave me a review telling me what you think (or if I should just go back to writing Marvel and Supernatural) Until next time guys :3**


	2. His greatest strength

**A/N: So most of you seemed to want another chapter to this so… here it is. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last part, and hopefully this is okay (and if it isn't, we can just delete this part and pretend this whole thing didn't happen, k?) **

**I still don't own anything, and I also have no idea what I am doing. **

His greatest strength

It had been two weeks since the incident in DADA, and it was as if someone had flipped a switch.

Ever since the Boggart incident, which had predictably spread through the entire castle, both students and teachers alike were somewhat surprised to see Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy acting pleasant towards one another. While they weren't _best _friends, something had clearly changed.

On a good day, the worst things had ever gotten between the two were a few bitter verbal spats. Now though, the two could be found sitting in each other's company; sometimes in companionable silence, sometimes in amiable conversation. After 6 years, it almost seemed like a rather un-climactic way to end such a famous rivalry.

The boys had long since dropped their cold formalities. It was as if _Potter and Malfoy _were completely separate from _Harry and Draco_. Each of them had changed in some way. Harry, for example, seemed to smile that little bit brighter and truer than before.

Draco, on the other hand, had caused teachers to double take more than once. He had kept his head down this year, yes, but the Slytherin would rarely, if ever, glare at someone as if they were nothing more than the dirt beneath his shoe. He hadn't referred to anyone as a 'Mudblood', and he no longer seemed to care about his "superior" status.

While many were pleased about this shift, Harry was still concerned. He hadn't told anyone about Draco's breakdown in the Hospital Wing, and whilst they had never mentioned the Boggart again, Harry could tell that it was still bothering the other boy. He was more subdued than before, but that wasn't his main worry.

Whenever they had Defence against the Dark Arts, Harry would sit next to Draco, and watch as the blonde's eyes would wander over to the cupboard which they both knew still held the Boggart, now lying forgotten in the corner. Harry would always gently nudge his arm to bring his focus back to the lesson, but Draco would still have a look in his eye that made Harry think that the other was weighing up a plan in his head.

The Gryffindor had a sinking suspicion that he knew what said plan was, but decided not to mention it in case he was mistaken.

***page break***

It was a Thursday afternoon, and the Gryffindor common room was unsurprisingly quiet. Most students were outside enjoying the sunshine, which is where Harry would've preferred to be. Instead, he, Ron and Hermione were inside, working on their latest essay for McGonagall. Although he and Ron were planning to leave it until as late as possible, Hermione had managed to convince the two of them to stay indoors by offering to help them with it, as both boys were struggling in lessons.

They had started working a little over 10 minutes ago, but now Harry was watching the footsteps move around on his map, while Ron and Hermione were arguing (something not uncommon these days). He had managed to tune their voices out, and was considering sneaking away to leave them to it, when his eyes locked on to a certain person.

His eyes followed the elegant script across the parchment, as Draco made his way down a route two floors below. Before he could wonder why his friend wasn't outside or in his own common room, he froze as the footsteps came to a halt before a familiar room.

The room with the Boggart.

The voices of Ron and Hermione suddenly came back into focus.

"Oh, come on 'Mionie, it's not like we're… Harry? You alright?" Ron commented, noticing how pale the dark-haired boy was.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"It's Draco." He looked up and met the questioning looks he was receiving, "He's in Lupin's classroom."

Hermione gasped, suddenly understanding her friend's fear. Ron, on the other hand, looked between them with a confused expression.

"And? Am I missing something?"

"He's going back to fight the Boggart! The stupid prat, I knew he would-"

"Mate, calm down." Ron cut him off " Maybe he just forgot his quill or something." He cringed, knowing how weak his argument sounded.

"Ron, please. He may not be as big of a prat, but he's still a Slytherin. His damn pride's gonna get him killed! He nearly broke his hand last time, and the only reason it wasn't worse was because Lupin was there. We have to stop him."

"Alright, Harry. Give me the map." Hermione said calmly. Seeing her friend's irritated confusion, she continued. "Ron and I will go find Professor Lupin and tell him what's going on. You get down to the classroom and stop him."

Harry shot her an appreciative look, before turning and sprinting past a group of 2nd years who were coming through the portrait. He was pretty sure he'd knocked at least two of them over, but he didn't have time to stop.

***page break***

Stopping outside Lupin's room, Draco paused and looked around the empty corridors, thankful that most of the students were outside enjoying the sun. He couldn't afford to waste time; anyone could stumble upon him, and this was something he _had_ to do alone. Being embarrassed in front of his peers once was all the embarrassment he needed, thank you very much.

He took a final deep breath. " Colloportus," he whispered. Knowing that the doors were now firmly locked, he moved with purpose past the empty desks until he reached the far corner of the room. Grateful that the cabinet was still there, he dragged it back until it stood in the middle of the floor, exactly the way Professor Lupin placed it during the tests.

Taking another pointless calming breath, Draco raised his wand to the cabinet, standing sideways. _It's no big deal _he thought, _it's just a spell. You've used hundreds before, come on! Concentrate._

"Alohomora."

Before he could truly register what he was doing, the cupboard stopped rattling, as a small black creature burst out of the doors. It seemed to look up at the boy, until its shape began to blur and shift, leaving Draco once again staring at himself.

Crouching before him, Draco's double still had the same matted locks and harsh grey eyes. The only thing that had changed was the lack of bruising and blood on its face.

"Well, well, well, look at you. I'd say you're being incredibly brave, but I doubt you even know what a backbone is." It stood, gracefully dusting off its robes. The Boggart looked him up and down, the same way a shark would size up its meal. "Tell me something Draco," it drawled "what exactly are you trying to prove here?" It began to circle him again, however, this time Draco turned with it, keeping his double in his sights at all times.

"Is this supposed to be some great triumph for you? I hate to break it to you kid, but it's just you and me. No one's here to watch your little act." Draco's jaw was locked as he tried to stay focused. The Boggart simply laughed

"Oh, come now. You don't need to act all brave and strong for little old me!" It raised a hand to its chest in mock surprise. "As entertaining as it is, you forget that I can see straight through it." Halting in front of the cabinet, it lowered its arm and promptly lost all trace of jest. It was clearly done playing.

"You couldn't beat me before. Saved by some teacher weren't we? But you're on your own this time. No one's coming to help you. Although, you already knew that."

Draco schooled his features to hide his rising anxiety, but then he remembered what this creature was.

"I wonder what dear old Dad would say, if he could see you now? Probably something along the lines of you being a complete and utter disappointment."

There was a muffled commotion from the corridor. Before his double could taunt him again, the giant wooden doors rattled, and Draco heard the call of a familiar voice.

"DRACO? DRACO, OPEN THE DOOR."

Whipping his head around, he stared at the doors with puzzlement. _Harry? _He thought _How in the name of Salazar did he know I was here?_

"Draco, please come on. Whatever it's saying, it's not true. Remember what I told you; you are not weak or pathetic. Merlin, please I am begging you. OPEN THE DOOR" Harry's voice may have been smothered by the wood, but even an idiot could have heard the honest terror. Behind him, he could hear the other Malfoy trying to re-attract his attention.

"Doesn't mean anything. Do you really think he can save you from this? From **you**?" The Boggart shrugged, although there was a hint of desperation in its tone.

The shouts from the other side of the classroom continued, and it suddenly hit him. He wasn't, nor had he ever, truly been alone. In the corner of his eye or standing in the background, there had always been someone there; either a teacher or another student. This school was full of people. People, who had been more than willing to be there to give him help, support and, dare he say it, friendship. It had taken Draco 6 years and a Boggart to make him understand that.

Once again, he slipped on the mask that he'd been forced to wear since childhood, albeit a new version. Gone was his Father's influence: the arrogance, the big-headedness, the unpleasant attitude. Instead, he kept the few part of his façade which he needed. His forthrightness and his confidence.

Mask in place, he turned to his double, who was still waiting for a reply. The Dark Mark on its arm gave him the final push. There was a war coming, and if he couldn't defeat a simple _Boggart_, then he may as well dig his grave now.

"No, he can't. He can help me, protect me from the odd hex, maybe. But Harry can't be the one who saves me from you. I have to do that for myself."

Seeing the creature continue to waver, he dug deep and pulled out his well-worn cocky grin. "This is my battle. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you that I'm too stubborn for my own good, and I am certainly no damsel waiting to be rescued." His own words seemed to make him stronger, as his shoulders straightened and his posture became more confident.

"There will always be a part of me that fears you. But that fear keeps me fighting."

This time around, it was the Boggart who lunged forward to attack. Only now, Draco was ready.

"RIDDIKULUS!"

Rushing forward, he grabbed the Boggart and bundled it back into the cabinet, not bothering to see what he'd turned it into. Keeping one hand on the door, he fished the key out of his pocket and fumbled to lock it. The sound of the clasp shutting was the best noise Draco had ever heard. He leaned his head against the door and shut his eyes, trying to catch his breath. He abruptly felt a wave of exhaustion come over him, and all he wanted to do was go back to his room.

It soon occurred to him that the panicked voice from outside was still shouting for him.

"DRACO? ARE YOU ALRIGHT, WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

Remembering who was on the other side, he tiredly moved towards the call, never once looking back. He whispered the spell to open the entrance and pushed it ajar, causing the boy on the other side to stumble backwards. There was a pause. As Harry opened his mouth to say something, he was interrupted by a yell from the other end of the corridor.

"Harry?" The raven-haired boy and the blonde turned to see Ron, Hermione and Lupin coming around the corner towards them. Upon seeing both boys, Hermione stopped shouting, and relaxed the grip on her raised wand.

Lupin reached them first, and tore into the classroom, ready to defend the children. However, he was puzzled at the sight before him. The Gryffindor prefects had both rushed into the staffroom, begging him to follow. Safely away from the prying eyes of others, they'd shown him the Marauder's map, explaining that Draco had went to face the Boggart on his own, and that Harry was currently on his way to stop him. The Slytherin had definitely been inside the room last time they checked, yet here he was, visibly fine.

"Draco?" he turned to the Malfoy heir, who looked ready to topple over. The only response he was given was an object being held out to him. It took the werewolf a moment to realize that it was the key to the cabinet which held the Boggart. He wordlessly took it, and put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. Draco heard his silent question, and he gave him a tired nod.

Turning to face Harry, he took off his mask completely, giving the other a tired, yet genuine smile. As he took an exhausted step, he felt his breathe leave him as Harry came forward and wrapped his arms around Draco's body to hold him up. Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder, shakily breathing.

"You did it. Draco, you did it." Harry said softly, tightening his hold.

Draco didn't reply. Instead, Harry didn't try to fight his smile as he felt the embrace returned.

The end.

**A/N: To my dear friends reading this who wanted a kiss (you know who you three are), I am not even sorry *evil grin*. To everyone else, thank you for reading! I hope you liked this, and please leave me a review telling me what you thought, or if I made a mistake anywhere. Maybe I should just go back to X-Men and SPN stuff XD**

**Until next time guys :3**


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